Development of Grease-Lubricated Ceramic Ball Bearings for eAxles in High-Performance Electric Vehicles
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20260709/1783567246832923.png" title="1783567246832923.png" alt="1.png"/></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JTEKT Corporation (Headquarters: Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture | President & CEO: Yoshihito Kondo, hereinafter referred to as "JTEKT") has developed grease-lubricated ceramic ball bearings optimized for eAxles in high-performance electric vehicles.
This newly developed product incorporates rolling elements (ceramic balls) to prevent electrolytic corrosion, enable high-speed rotation, and extend grease life. In addition, the adoption of a high-speed resin cage, non-contact seals, and optimized grease design enables high-speed rotation of up to 30,000 r/min under grease lubrication.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Based on our mission, "Joint Technology to bring joy to the planet earth and all working people," JTEKT has established the JTEKT Group 2030 Vision: "A solution provider creating the future of mobility society through Monozukuri and Monozukuri equipment." To realize this transformation, JTEKT is pursuing both the enhancement of existing products with higher added value and challenges in new business domains. Through this product, JTEKT will contribute to improving the performance of electric vehicles and work together with customers to create the future of mobility society.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1.Background of Development
In high-performance electric vehicles that require high-output drive motors, there are cases where oil supply to the interior of the eAxle motor is not feasible due to constraints in vehicle design and unit structure.
To address this issue, JTEKT has developed a new bearing that adopts grease lubrication instead of oil lubrication, enabling application in such eAxles while also meeting the high-speed rotation requirements of drive motors. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> 2. Product Features and Benefits
The developed bearing uses high-carbon bearing steel for the raceways (inner and outer rings), and lightweight, high-rigidity, and electrically insulating ceramic rolling elements. The reduced weight of the rolling elements suppresses centrifugal force and reduces heat generation in high-speed operation.
Furthermore, the use of non-contact seals improves grease retention, and a high-rigidity cage designed for high-speed rotation ensures stable performance at high speeds. In addition, combining these features with a long-life synthetic grease that offers excellent oil retention at high temperatures, as well as superior water and corrosion resistance, enables continuous high-temperature operation and extended service life of the drive motor. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> 3. Future
As a solution provider creating the future of mobility society, JTEKT will continue to propose products that contribute to high-performance electric vehicles.
In addition to this , JTEKT will leverage its core competencies to propose diverse solutions that contribute not only to mobility but also to a wide range of industries.</span></p>
09 Jul,2026
